PSA: Your Instagram time sink is on hold, Instance down for everyone (Update: It works!)

If you want to have a somewhat coherent Instagram experience on Windows Phone the app to get has been Instance. It was one of the first apps (and most polished) that allowed users to upload pictures to the social network. However, we’re getting reports that the app isn’t working.

Instance was notable because it didn’t require a server in the middle to upload to Instagram. How did it do that? By using Instagram’s very own API. That approach offered a better experience for Instagram users on Windows Phone, but now seems to be causing some issues. A change on their part in regards to their API could be causing trouble for Instance users. That seems to be the case.

Try launching Instance right and it will give you a wrong username/password error. We’re getting the same error on both our paid and free versions of the app. We’ve reached out to the developer, Daniel Gary, to see if he has anything to add to the current situation. He let us know Instagram did change something and he's currently investigating it. We'll let you know of when a potential fix is coming.

[Update] Try relaunching the app a few times. It wasn't Instagram that changed their APIs, instead the keychain used to authenticate needed an upgrade. Should be working soon for all you beautiful people.

hmm, im back logged into Instance but curiously my GF can't view my feed on her iPhone5 anymore. Pic stats appear but no thumbnails etc. In my Instance, im only loading something lke 3/4 pics in my timeline and no more.. does this seem similar to other wp instance users?

I had seen it coming , at engadget.com they had a article about Hipstamatic’s Oggl apps , and the editor was under in the impression that it was the first app which is related to instagram and so was the majority or reviewer in the site. One fellow was blogging about how cool was instance and doesn’t need Hipstamatic’s Oggl apps. After all Hipstamatic had a legal contract with instagram. Funniest thing Is one fellow warned the user that his account will be deleted if he continued to use instance.http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/26/hipstamatic-oggl-windows-phone-8/
I quote “Careful, people.
This violates the terms of use for Instagram. If you use this, you risk having your account (and pictures therein) deleted.”

I do have problems with uploading: i see my pics on instance but they won't show on my profile page on official instagram website. moreover it want connect with my facebook and twitter profile pages. Windows phone really sucks, i wish this instagram client will work asap.

I uploaded a photo earlier and when I got home it was gone. I tried it again and it went up for a few seconds even saw it on IG through the website, then in a few seconds gone again....what the heck is going on?

After uninstall and reinstall, I can login. But a lot of the people I follow aren't in the timeline. I check Instagram.com and they are there. It appears to be mostly private accounts that aren't showing.

I have no problem logging in now. My problem currently is getting my uploads to actually upload. It will show that it's uploaded on the main page after it's finished uploading, but it won't show up in my profile page, along with the timeline. I'll just stay away from this app for the time being lol.

I remember when Android didn't have Instagram. Everyone on Android constantly hounded on Instagram to get it on Android. On WP, everyone hounds on Microsoft to get Instagram on WP. Seems pretty stupid to hound the phone OS maker and not the app maker.

In my book Instance is almost always down.
There are TONS of features I hope Instance gets soon because I am using 3 different apps to do what one should do.
Example
Instance - Post to Twitter/FB
#2InstaWithMassiveLove - Instagram Videos
Instagraph - I use to post FULL PHOTO to IG w/o cropping
I mean com'n this is ridiculous

Needs to add video and fix bugs, last week it didn't let me upload a picture, I tried so many times I eventually gave up and never posted it :'( I would use Instagraph but I like that Instance let's you use emoticons. I'm actually patiently waiting for 6gram to come out❕❕❕❕❕

In my opinion, the app could use an update by now. For me it's been crashing after 10min of straight use; the 'double-tap like' stops working after several uses; and the ability to tag people on comments often fails... Love the app, though

Same here, so sad .... i contacted Daniel Gary twice with no answer .... I really want and need an Stability update and i really want to be able to share video's, so sad that it takes so long ... I really would like to have the tile count feature, but it never worked for me ...

Nothing new. It's the same thing with MetroTube and other 3rd party YouTube clients, when YouTube/Google decide to change up APIs then our 3rd party devs have to catch up. Kudos to our devs for their attentiveness!

Haha I went off changing my password because I thought maybe my info was hijacked. Then found out my wife's Instance said the same and figured it was a global issue.
Now I can't set it to my old password cuz it said I have used it in the past haha, oh well.

A lot of those pictures look really cool❕ Perfect, and exact, representation isn't everything, even for professional photographers.. Instagram may not be for you, and isn't available for WP, but let's be mature about this.

The dev is giving it as much attention as he can already.
I wish it was perfect and had video already, but Instance is not this guys full time job and he has said he is working on it and given updates on his progress via Twitter.

I'm not talking about video, I'm talking about the app crashing every second time when there are pics with lots of comments. I get it that he is not a full time dev, but it has been a while since the last update and lots of people have the stability issue.

Rudy Huyn is also doing dev work part time and somehow managed to go from scratch to pre beta in pretty much a week while also updating 6sec app.

I totally understand that people have work and life, but if you're selling an app there is a commitment in terms of getting it going and getting it stable.

I don't mean to talk negatively about Daniel Gary or instance, but it is what it is. The app is very unstable and has been for quiet a while.

I think what he/she is trying to say is, if Instagram released their own app, they would fix it for any change in their own API, before making the said change, avoiding the catch-up game that 3rd party devs have to play when the API gets changed.

Who cares if they released a rubbish app, the app would always be there to use if any of the third party "better ones" get hindered by API changes, much in the same way Metrotube and the native YouTube apps work.

Well again, not necessarily. We have other official apps that don't have all the features of the iOS/Android versions. They can still lag behind in features, but API changes would likely be less of an issue.

Instagraph was the first App on WP to upload to Instagram (2 months ahead Instance ;)
Now it is the 2nd most downloaded app on USA, thank you all for the support!!
Next week I will publish an update with new features, both for wp7 and wp8 ;)
PS: no issues here, I don't use private API

I love WP with all my heart , but I'm being force to leave them again , too many apps and games missing , I don't think they will ever catch up ,wells Fargo, Audi roadside assistance, flipboard,instagram,pinterest, and so many many more , I will buy and iPhone 5 again and keep my Lumia 925 on side .

wells fargo announced several weeks ago they are coming out with a WP app very soon. And Nokia indicated a few days ago that almost all of the major apps will be available by the end of the year. Hang in there until next year and see what has come to fruition!